Besides training and fellowship, I had the chance to join the Coast Guard on a patrol, escorting a passenger vessel in the fog, and received lookout training in the most miserable viewing conditions imaginable. It was fun! :)

As I stood in that vessel, balancing my body and supporting myself by pressing my legs against the engine room and the deck, I held in my hand not just a line, not just a maritime tool, but also the answer to all my questions....

Throwing a heaving line to another boat or a floating dummy in a rocking boat is also harder than it sounds. But, after the 5th try or so, I was able to do both, and I only hit the dummy on the head once! :)

We headed outside, into the cold rain, and went aboard one of the Coast Guard boats. Rick showed us how to toss a line, but he forgot to do the most important thing: tie the other end to the boat. :) So there it went, flying away!

"Are you absolutely certain that this is what you want to do?" Perhaps I could. But it would require my absolute devotion, enduring financial hardship, and making school my life for three long years. Could I really do it?

Brian brought a bag full of these flares, so we all had some fun shooting them over the channel -- even some of the Coasties joined in the fun! Everyone thought I had way too much fun with these flares, but hey...

I joined the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary last month. Just last Saturday, I was invited to participate in the first of many boat crew classes... at the Muskegon Coast Guard station! We brought lunch for the "coasties"...

So, what was the first thing I did? Well, I walked out of that ceremony with my naturalization certificate in hand and headed straight home to fill out the most important applications of my life: FBI and NOAA Corps.